Oil retainer



T. J. THORE OIL RETAINER March 23, 1965 Filed Feb. 4, 1963 FIG].

INVENTOR THOMAS J. THORE United States Patent 3,174,304 OIL RETAINER Thomas J. Thore, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Singer Company, New York, N. a corporation of New Jersey Filed Feb. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 255,767 6 Claims. (Cl. 668) The present invention relates to circular knitting machines and more particularly to an improvement in circular knitting machines wherein oil applied to the cylinder and associated apparatus to reduce sliding friction, is prevented from contacting the article being knit.

The present invention has particular application to half hose circular knitting machines of the type which are adapted to produce childrens and mens hose blanks in a continuous tube, wherein no further operations are necessary to complete the stocking save separation of the blanks and looping of the toe portion.

In knitting on a circular knitting machine, means cooperate with needles to cause the needles to slide vertically in slots in a cylinder. To minimize friction, and thereby wear on the slots and the associated needles, it is necessary that the sliding part of the needle, the needleactuating means, and the associated slot be lubricated. To afford maximum lubrication and thus minimum wear, low viscosity oils are utilized as the primary lubricant. A major portion of the oil is vaporized by the heat of friction, however, the use of a low viscosity oil allows the remaining oil to flow more easily down the walls of the cylinder, and thereafter to more easily contact and spot the article being knitted on the knitting machine.

In the knitting of mens and childrens hose, conventionally the yarn is pre-dyed prior to the knitting operation. Because of pre-dyeing, any oil inadvertently spotting the hose while knitting renders the hose a second" as far as future sale is concerned.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a principal object of this invention to provide means in conjunction with the rotating and moving portion of a knitting machine, to prevent the oil which is not vaporized from running down the cylinder and thereafter contacting and spotting the article being knit on the knitting machine.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section of a portion of a rotary cylinder hosiery knitting machine embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a downwardly directed sectional view taken along the stepped line 2-2 of FIG. 1 with a portion broken away; and

FIG. 3 is an upwardly directed sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1, with a portion broken away to better illustrate the construction of the present embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a typical circular knitting machine of the stated type. A hollow needle cylinder has vertical slots 11 in its outer periphery, in which cylinder needles 12 move between retracted and extended positions. In each slot 11 immediately below the cylinder needles 12 is a jack 13. Circumscribing the upper portion of the cylinder is a sinker cam ring 14 with associated sinkers 15. In vertical alignment with the cylinder 10, and located immediately above it, is a dial 16. The dial 16 has slots radiating from the center of the dial in which in a conventional manner, dial needles 17 reciprocate.

About the outer periphery of the cylinder, below the sinker cam ring 14, conventional means is provided to P ce cooperate with the cylinder needles so as to actuate the needles between extended and retracted positions as the machine operates. To this end needle cams, in the present instance rising and stitch cams designated 18 and 19 respectively, engage the butts 20 of the cylinder needles. In much the same manner, jack cams 21 placed about the outer periphery of the cylinder and below the needle cams engage the butts 22 of the jacks 13. The jack cams 21 effect raising and lowering of selected jacks 13 as determined by the butts thereon, and because each jack underlies a needle in the same slot, raising of the jacks also causes the associated cylinder needles 12 to raise.

Conventional drive means is provided to operate the machine and to cause relative rotation between the cylinder and the afore-mentioned needle-actuating means and the dial. In the present embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the drive means causes the needle cylinder 10 to rotate while the jack cams and needle cams remain stationary. To this end a gear and sleeve assembly 30 is connected to the cylinder to effect rotation thereof. As is illustrated in FIG. 1, a hollow cylindrical sleeve portion 31 of the gear and sleeve assembly 30 passes up into the cylinder and is engaged therewith. As is best illustrated in FIG. 3, the sleeve 31 is fitted with keys 32 which cause the cylinder to en gage with the sleeve 31 for rotation therewith. It should be noted that the vertical slots on the inner periphery of the needle cylinder which afford a passageway for the keys 32 have a minimum play in the lateral direction but in the vertical direction the play is such that the needle cylinder 10 may slide vertically on the sleeve. A gear ring 33, which meshes with the main drive gear 33a, radiates from the sleeve portion 31 below the cylinder terminus and completes the gear and sleeve assembly 30. The dial is driven by the gear ring 33 through a pinion gear 41 connected thereto by bolts 40. The pinion gear 41 actuates a gear 42 which through suitable shafting and gearing connects to the shaft 44 for rotation of the dial 16. Because the pinion gear is connected directly to the gear ring 33, it is apparent that the dial 16 will turn in synchronism with the gear and sleeve assembly 30.

In accordance with the invention means is provided in association with the needle cylinder to divert oil from the knitted goods. Because of the movement of the cylinder needles 12, and the jacks 13 in the slots 11 of the cylinder 11 and the great amount of wear on the needle and jack butts as they ride up and down by the action of their rotation and engagement with needle cams and jack cams respectively, a normally operating knitting machine which operates between and 250 rpm, requires oil on these parts at frequent intervals. As previously stated, a low viscosity oil may be used in this application. Because the oil that is not vaporized by the heat of friction tends to flow towards the lower portion of the cylinder, an oil retainer ring 54 is connected to the drive means and is mounted below the cylinder and cooperates with the cylinder to catch and dispose of the excess oil so that it will not come into contact with and soil the article being knit.

In the present embodiment of the invention, as is best illustrated in FIG. 3, the oil retainer ring 50 is an annular disk with means defining an aperture 51 in the center thereof. The central aperture is substantially equal in diameter to the internal diameter of the needle cylinder 16. As is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the oil retainer ring is connected to the drive means through the needle cylinder 10 by two screws 52. The annular portion adjacent to the aperture 51 is recessed a radial distance equal to the side wall thickness of the needle cylinder 10 to afford a seat for the cylinder. The upper surface of the rings recessed portion terminates in a shoulder 53 and thereafter radiates from its central portion in a smooth surface to the outer periphery of the ring. Between the annular recess defined by the shoulder 53 and the needle cylinder is a gasket 54. This gasket rests in full facing engagement with the needle cylinder and the annular recessed portion so as to prevent oil seepage inwardly towards the sleeve 31 when the machine is idle.

On the-underside of the oil retainer ring is an oil brake which is provided to prevent oil from seeping towards the sleeve 31 along the underside of the oil retaining ring when the machine is idle. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the oil brake comprises means defining an annular slot 55, located adjacent the periphery of the oil retainer; ring and circumscribing the aperture 51.

At this point it may be desirable to consider where oil that would seep along the underside of the oil retainer ring, but for the oil brake, would go. Through appropriate apertures in the gear ring are push rods 60 which connect to a stitch length control 61. The stitch length control 61 operates upon suitable camming (not shown) to cause the cylinder to raise or lower, thereby increasing or decreasing the stitch length. Since the oil ring is provided with an oil brake, any oil seeping along the lower portionof the retainer ring is prevented from seeping through the push rod apertures and thereafter coming into contact with the hose.

In order that oil seeping over the peripheral edge of the retainer ring may be disposed of, means is provided which allows the oil to move away from the center of the machine in a predetermined path. To this end immediately below the annular slot 55 and in the upper portion of the gear ring 33, are means defining a groove 56 which runs entirely around the gear ring. In the present instance the groove is dimensioned greater in radial width than the annular slot 55. The bottom of the groove 56 is stepped towards the outer periphery of the gear ring 33 to provide a slope for increased oil disposal. At the lower portion of the groove 56, and in direct communication with the outer periphery of the gear ring 33,'are means defining a hole 57. As is illustrated in FIG. 2, four suchholes 57 have been found sufficient to allow oil running off of the oil retainer ring, into the groove 56. and out through the holes 57 to clear the machine of any extra oil that may run down from the needle cylinder slots 11.

In operation, any excess oil which runs down the slots 11 of the needle cylinder it) falls onto the upper surface of the oil retainer ring. Because the ring is attached to the needle cylinder and is therefore rotating with the needle cylinder, the centrifugal force imparted to the mass of oil will cause the oil to move radially towards the outer periphery of the oil retainer ring. Thereafter the oil will fall into the groove 56, and because the centrifugal force on a mass will depend primarily upon the speed of rotation and the radius from the center of rotation, as the oil moves further into the holes 57, the rotation of the machine will impart such a force on the oil that the oil will pass outwardly through the holes 57. Thereafter, of course, the oil will drop down into the casing and may be removed in any suitable manner.

It should be noted that this same principle may be utilized in a machine wherein the needle cylinder is stationary but the cams rotate. This is easily accomplished by securing the oil retainer ring to the rotating member instead of the cylinder.

Although the invention has been described with a certain' degree of particularity, it is undenstood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes and details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder having substantially, vertical slots about its outer periphery, cylinder needles slidable in said slots, means cooperating with said cylinder needles adapted to cause said needles to move between extended and retracted positions, drive means operable to cause relative rotation between said cylinder and said needle actuating means, the improvement for preventing oil from said cylinder and needle-actuating means from contacting the article being knit, said improvement comprising an oil retainer ring connected to said drive means for rotation therewith, said oil retainer ring being mounted below said cylinder and co-operating with said cylinder to catch oil from said slots, needles and needle-actuating means as said oil progresses downwardly therefrom, means defining an aperture in communication with said oil retainer ring beneath said cylinder operable to allow said oil to pass outwardly upon operation of said knitting machine.

2. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 1 wherein said means adapted to cause said needles to move comprises needles cams, needle jacks below said cylinder needles, jack cams co-operating with said jacks so as to raise said cylinder needles at predetermined intervals, and wherein said drive means comprises a hollow cylindrical sleeve extending into and engaging said cylinder and terminating therein, said sleeve terminating at the other end in a drive gear, and wherein said oil retainer ring has means defining an aperture to coincide with the internal diameter of said cylinder, said oil retainer ring connected to said cylinder at the lower terminal portion thereof and radiating outwardly therefrom.

3. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 2 wherein said oil retainer ring is an annular disk with means defining a central aperture therein, an oil brake on the underside of said oil retainer ring adapted to prevent oil from seeping towards the central aperture when said machine is idle.

4. A circular knitting machine according to claim 3 wherein said oil brake comprises means defining an annular slot circumscribing' the central aperture.

5. In a circular knitting machine according to claim 4 wherein said oil retainer ring has an annular shoulder defining a recess adjacent to said central aperture, said recess radially dimensioned to equal the side wall thickness of said cylinder to afford a seat for said cylinder, a gasket between the annular recess defined by the shoulder and the lower terminus of said cylinder to prevent oil seepage towards said central aperture when said machine is idle.

6. A circular knitting -machine according to. claim 2 wherein said means allowing passage outwardly of said oil comprises means defining an annular groove in the upper portion of said drive gear, means defining at least one aperture radiating from said annular groove to the outer periphery of said drive gear operable upon rotation of said drive gear to cause oil to move through said aperture to the outer periphery of said drive gear.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS RUSSELL C. MADER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE COMPRISING A NEEDLE CYLINDER HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL SLOTS ABOUT ITS OUTER PERIPHERY, CYLINDER NEEDLES SLIDABLE IN SAID SLOTS, MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID CYLINDRICAL NEEDLES ADAPTED TO CAUSE SAID NEEDLES TO MOVE BETWEEN EXTENDS AND RETRACTED POSITIONS, DRIVE MEANS OPERABLE TO CAUSE RELATIVE ROTATION BETWEEN SAID CYLINDER AND SAID NEEDLE-ACTUATING MEANS, THE IMPROVEMENT FOR PREVENTING OIL FROM SAID CYLINDER AND NEEDLE-ACTUATING MEANS FORM CONTACTING THE ARTICLE BEING KNIT, SAID IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING AN OIL RETAINER RING CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, SAID OIL RETAINER RING BEING MOUNTED BELOW SAID CYLINDER AND CO-OPERATING WITH SAID CYLINDER TOCATCH OIL FROM SAID SLOTS, NEEDLES AND NEEDLE-ACTUATING MEANS AS SAID OIL PROGRESSES DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM, MEANS DEFINING AN APERTURE IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID OIL RETAINER RING BENEATH SAID CYLINDER OPERABLE TO ALLOW SAID OIL TO PASS OUTWARDLY UPON OPERATION OF SAID KNITTING MACHINE. 